DCU Comic Book Reviews

BOOSTER GOLD #20

July 2009

Written by Keith Giffen

Layouts by Pat Olliffe and Dan Jurgens

Inks by Norm Rapmund and Rodney Ramos

Cover by Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund

Synopsis

In the time sphere, Rip Hunter is making repairs.  While waiting, Booster Gold decides to travel back in time to the 50s.  There, Booster flies to a local town, where he is discovered by Task Force X, who recruit him for a special mission.  They are to contact Sergei Pushkin, a former Russian they believe is selling US secrets to his comrades.  They are able to get in to put an agent undercover to work with Pushkin.  However, Booster happens to notice a rocket about to take off.  Booster is able to stop the launch.  He then returns to the time sphere, where Rip informs him that Booster helped Task Forc X stop the Russians from selling US secrets.  Later, Pushkin returned to Russia and built the foundation for the Rocket Reds, which was finished by his grandson.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This was a good issue to read, I really enjoyed the dialogue between the characters.  It was fun.  The snappy patter reminded me of older romantic comedies from the time period this issue was supposed to take place.  It is not the type of thing you see often in comics, but I wish it would appear more because it is a joy to read.  However, when you start to think about this issue a little bit (such as I do when I go through it a second time to write this review), you start to wonder about the plot.  Like, Task Force X revealing the truth to Booster, which seems at odds for a group that works for the government and is supposed to be secret.  Why in the world would they be so trusting of Booster, who is not supposed to be doing what he is doing as a cape?  You would think they would be more cautious.  Plus, I am not exactly sure what Booster accomplished when he flew to the past and stopped the rocket.  It looked as if the woman was already under cover before the rocket was destroyed, so what I am unsure what that added to the story, other than the obligatory action scene.  

Ultimately, however, I think the basic problem with the issue, and where it fails to really soar, is the lack of a central conflict.  The plot is that Booster goes back to the 50s.  IN order for the story to work, the character needs to be doing something in which something else gets in their way.  Yet, at no point does Booster need to get something, learn something, save someone and no one really gets in his way.  Even Task Force X takes him under their wing, becoming allies by necessity, thus removing a potential fro conflict. Essentially, Booster sort of just goes along on the ride, following along with the rest of the characters.  We really don’t learn the ramifications of the what happened until the end when Rip then lets us know what Booster did in the past. 

The group of four who were part of the failed launch looked as if they were supposed to be some type of Fantastic Four analog (notice the one who says, “burns me up” being consoled by a blonde with a large guy and thin guy in foreground). 

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